National Register of Historic Places

Octagon House

Reading, Middlesex County, Massachusetts
Listed
July 18, 1984
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
84002762

About this property

The Octagon House (or the Dr. Horace Wakefield House) is a historic octagon house in Reading, Massachusetts. Built in 1860 by Doctor Horace Wakefield, it is a distinctive variant of the type, executed as a series of small octagonal shapes around a central cupola. The building is fashioned from large, heavy timbers in the manner of a log cabin, with long first-floor windows. The porches and eaves have heavy zigzag trim and brackets, some of which have carvings resembling gargoyles. The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.

Location

97 Pleasant St.
Reading, Middlesex County, Massachusetts
42.52389, -71.10021

Categories

HEALTH/MEDICINEARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Everything a full report reveals about Octagon House

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Overview
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The Land
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Geology
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LiDAR Terrain
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Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
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Spotlight
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Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
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Nearby Historic Sites

House at 322 Haven Street
Industrial
0 mi
Elliott, Luther, House
Industrial
0.1 mi
Reading Municipal Building
Industrial
0.1 mi
Rowhouses at 256-274 Haven Street
Industrial
0.1 mi
House at 42 Salem Street
Industrial
0.1 mi

Nearby Battles

King Philip's War – Raid on Woburn MA 1676
1676Colonial
3.7 mi
Battle of Lancaster (King Philip's War)
1676Colonial
6.2 mi
Battle of Menotomy
1775Revolutionary War
8 mi
Raid on Menotomy (Arlington)
1775Revolutionary War
8 mi
Skirmish at Menotomy (Arlington)
1775Revolutionary War
8.1 mi

Questions about this property

When was Octagon House listed on the National Register?

Octagon House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on July 18, 1984.

What type of historic resource is Octagon House?

Octagon House is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Octagon House?

The period of significance for Octagon House is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Octagon House?

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